Capitalist modernity emerged in the West out of a conservative and religious past. Society in the Middle Ages of the West was highly influenced by the Church and feudal law, and was based on an agricultural economy (Kelley, 2002). After the Renaissance and the Enlightenment Era of free thinkers and new social theorists such as Locke, Bentham, and other Liberals, the West dramatically transformed into a highly individualistic and capitalist society. It is worth noting that not everybody agrees as to what modernity is (McPherson, 2015). Some of the values that come with modernity, such as dress codes and legal drinking of alcohol, do not comply with the way many Muslims practice their faith. Even when pushed, liberal capitalism has always been uncertain in the Muslim world, from ultra-conservative countries to more liberal ones. Locke’s social vision of ownership of property through applying labor and exchanging products (i.e. principles of capitalism) are not all against the economic principles of Islam. Islam allows for regulated capitalism with the permissibility of small businesses, dispersal of property, and trade (Dunning, 2003). Of course there are still limits, such as dealing with usury, but the problem today is that there is no Islamic country or state, but rather only Muslim-majority countries, which is the term preferred by many Muslim political academics, such as Tariq Ramadan (2001). After Western colonization of many of these Muslim-majority nations, there has risen many different political strategies and responses to capitalist modernity, whether they be in the West or in Muslim countries that have adopted secular-liberal principles.

Political Islam was born after the colonization of the Middle East by Western nations such as Britain and France, and after the establishment of Israel, supported by Western allies. Furthermore, the backing of autocratic rulers in the Middle East and the ongoing Western interference into Muslim countries, have ensured that even though physical colonialism has ended, it still survives in different forms. Some Muslim countries have completely rejected any Western ideals, such as liberalism or democracy; these include Khomeini’s Iran (Rubin, 2003). Others have rejected the Western way of life but allowed for trade with the West and allowed for some capitalist principles. These include Saudi Arabia (Martin, 1982). Turkey used to be an oft-cited example of how a Muslim-majority country could have capitalism in common with the West and also share a Western-style modernity, but recent developments have dramatically shattered this image.

Like any movement, Political Islam has spawned its share of thinkers and writers. Sayyid Qutb wrote extensively, arguing against modernism and capitalism having any place in Muslim societies. He believed that Muslims who welcome modernism are creating a state of “jahiliyya” (ignorance) and that they are committing “kufr” (disbelief), which has given rise to the very dangerous and politicized idea of “takfir” (declaring Muslims are apostates) (Terence & Dagger, 2009, p. 456-460).
Many radical movements, such as al-Qaeda, and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were heavily influenced by this idea. Bin Laden often expounded on his political ideology and his ambitions for a puritan Islamic state free from any Western influence. His arguments justifying the bombing of various American buildings in the Muslim world or on American soil were not so different from Qutb’s arguments in support of a global “jihad” as an offensive attack against modernity, capitalism, and other Western ideals which are seen blasphemous by their interpretation of Islam.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded in Egypt in 1920s, has been an influential conservative movement. They sought political rule recognizing the Qur’an and Sunnah as the only reference point for social order. The Muslim Brotherhood eventually came into power in Egypt after the Arab Spring of 2011 and the overthrow of Egypt’s long-serving dictator, Hosni Mubarak. Their rule under the leadership of Morsi gave rise to much discontent among those who did not share the Brotherhood’s worldview, and eventually General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took over the government after a coup and promised to restore Egypt to a secular society.

In another part of the Muslim world racked by civil war, the Islamic State came to power (Gerges, 2015). Even though the majority of Muslims worldwide reject the group’s claim to Islamic polity, IS strongly believe themselves to be the heirs to the revival of the Islamic caliphate. Before going further, it is important to know that every political Islamic group, whether militant or not, dreams of returning to an Islamic caliphate. The political philosophy of an Islamic caliphate is the ultimate goal and social vision, any policy that achieves that goal is worthwhile. Of course what is necessary and what is not, differs from group to group. There are extreme groups utilizing terrorism and other fear factors, such as IS and al-Qaeda, and other groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, utilizing democracy as a process to achieve power and the implementation of the Islamic caliphate. There also are Islamic groups such as Hizb-ul-tahrir, who are completely non-militant but who propagate amongst Muslims globally, aiming to achieve the return of an Islamic caliphate (Butt, 2010).

There are also moderate political voices in the Muslim community, who also have a strategy for dealing with the challenges of capitalist modernity. According to the well-known Muslim preacher and writer, Fethullah Gülen, secularism should not be seen as at odds with Islam. He admits that secularism involves freedom of religion, writing “The freedom of religion is defined as for the individuals to believe in the religion of their choice and without the fear of being disturbed to be able to practice the requirements of the religion they chose freely” (Ergil, 2015). He sees this as being coherent with Islam, as the Qur’an states that “there is no coercion in religion.” He has always strongly believed that religion should not be used as a tool of politics, whether that be Christian politicians or Muslim politicians, who seek to gain political power.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent Muslim thinker, makes a strong critique of modernity, arguing that modernity means that “which is cut off from the Transcendent, from the immutable principles which in reality govern all things and which are made known to man through revelation in its most universal sense.” This is a spiritual interpretation of modernity, which argues that traditional Islam rejects that definition of modernity and sees Islam as focused on spirituality in this world and not materialism, which is the Western way of living (Bilecen, 2014). Tariq Ramadan, a professor of Islamic studies at Oxford University, advances political Islamic thought in contrast to Western political thought. Ramadan contends that Muslims, especially in the West, must be equipped to respond appropriately to the challenges of modernity with a point of reference, one going back to Islamic ideals of ethics and spirituality (Ramadan, 2001). He argues there must be a meaningful and intellectual dialogue to occur between Muslims and the West in tackling modernity.

Many Muslims have adopted living in the West under secularism and in a capitalist society yet still remain critical of the challenges both pose. It is also clear that the majority of Muslims reject the atrocities occurring in isolated parts of the Muslim world and perpetrated by some militant Muslims responding to Western ideals of capitalism and modernity which they usually encountered in the form of colonialism. Muslims and non-Muslims alike have been critical for centuries and this critique should not be seen as an attack on society, but rather it should enhance society and open a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims.

References

• Achcar, G, Extreme capitalism of the Muslim Brothers, Le Monde diplomatique, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://mondediplo.com/2013/06/05brothers.
  Bilecen, H 2014, Islamic Modernism Series II: modernism vs. traditional Islam, Today’s Zaman, retrieved 8 February 2016, < http://www.todayszaman.com/blog/hali-l-bi-lecen/islamic-modernism-series-ii-modernism-vs-traditional-islam_350214.html>
• Butt, N 2010, Hizb ut-Tahrir is a political party and has no connection with militancy, The Khilafah, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://www.khilafah.com/hizb-ut-tahrir-is-a-political-party-and-has-no-connection-with-militancy/.
• Dunning, J & HRH The Prince of Wales 2003, Making Globalization Good: The Moral Challenges of Global Capitalism, Oxford University Press, New York.
  Ergil, D 2015, What is the view of Fethullah Gülen on secularism?, Fethullah Gülen, retrieved 8 February 2016, < http://fgulen.com/en/gulen-movement/fethullah-gulen-and-the-gulen-movement-in-100-questions/48023-what-is-the-view-of-fethullah-gulen-on-secularism>.
• Gerges, F 2015, The rise of IS – and how to beat it, BBC News, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30681224.
  Kelley, D 2002, 9/11 and The War Against Modernity, The Atlas Society, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://atlassociety.org/commentary/commentary-blog/3653-9-11-and-the-war-against-modernity.
• Martin, D 1982, Saudi Arabia’s New Capitalism, The New York Times, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/21/business/saudi-arabia-s-new-capitalism.html?pagewanted=all.
• McPherson, C 2015, Not everyone agrees on what modernity is, Today’s Zaman, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists_not-everyone-agrees-on-what-modernity-is_380078.html.
• Ramadan, T 2001, Islam, the West and the Challenges of Modernity, The Islamic Foundation, Markfield, United Kingdom.
  Rubin, B 2003, Why Islamic societies of the Middle East are so opposed to globalization, Yale Global Online, http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/globalization-and-middle-east-part-one.
• Terence, B & Dagger, R 2009, Ideals and ideologies; a reader, 7th edn, Pearson/Longman.
  Trager, E 2013, Think Again: The Muslim Brotherhood, Foreign Policy, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/01/28/think-again-the-muslim-brotherhood/.
• Tristam, P, The Assassination of Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, About News, retrieved 8 February 2016, http://middleeast.about.com/od/egypt/a/me081006a.htm.

Breakthroughs and innovations start with a very radical idea. They don’t try to improve a process or product; they often disrupt an existing solution or approach or displace an existing technology. This is a lesson to us: You don’t need to wait for others to shape your future.

Ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes a conversation, or reading a book, or even a dream [1] can be the source of innovation. Our daily activities are all part of the inventive process. In fact, the internet provides many sources of information and inspiration. One can easily search for related patents and research on how to improve the idea. An average internet user can easily access new tools and platforms to take courses online, ask questions, and get answers from experts. New online platforms like Coursera, Udacity, and edX [2] provide free and high quality educational content and tools. One can easily take courses from these platforms, educating themselves and developing new ideas and technologies.

Crowdsourcing is another alternative for finding an innovative solution to a problem. Many companies and organizations are now organizing innovation challenges, seeking ideas and products for problems in many scientific and engineering fields. This approach allows companies to access the world’s smartest people to help solve important technical, social, policy, and scientific challenges. Governments and large corporations are also offering incentives for large scale scientific and technological projects. A well-known example of this approach are XPRIZE challenges [3]. The XPRIZE Foundation is organizing challenges to help solve difficult future problems. One of the challenges from XPRIZE is to build and launch a spacecraft that can carry three people 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface – and can do so twice in two weeks. Another space related challenge is to land safely on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters on the Lunar surface, and communicate two times with the Earth. These challenges are not only allowing companies to push the limits of science and technology, but also generating commercial and applied projects.

But back to you and your great new idea… Once you have your innovative idea on solid ground, the next step is to attract funding to bring your idea to life. There are many funding mechanisms today, including loans from banks, borrowing money from friends and family, angel investors, startup competitions, venture capital funding, and a new approach called “crowdfunding.” Crowdfunding is the process of collecting financing for a project or idea from a large number of (often anonymous) investors, each donating small amounts. The crowdfunding industry is expected to grow to $90 billion by 2020. There are many successful crowdfunding campaigns that raised over $1 million in less than 24 hours, for art pieces, movies, technological products, and video games. The highest reported funding campaign was for a project called Star Citizen, an online space video game that raised over $37 million [4]. The crowdfunding platforms also help with the marketing, advertising, and social media reach for the ideas and products.

While it is possible to explain and attract funding with just the idea or concept of your innovation, it is important to have a functioning prototype to prove that the idea is real and it is possible to bring it to life. Prototyping is an important step for demonstrating your idea to others. With the developments in manufacturing and 3D printing, it is easier than ever to produce a prototype. Low cost 3D printing allows local manufacturing and prototyping. While 3D printing has existed for quite some time, it was for many years an expensive technology available only to larger companies. New technological developments make it available and affordable for personal use. One can easily design or download a 3D model of a product, and print at home for testing and everyday use. Many printing stores now accept online orders for 3D print jobs [5]. 3D printing can make easy for innovators to produce a prototype of their products and test before starting fundraising process and mass production.

The current level of 3D printer technology allows printing mostly for non-electronic components of a product. For electronic components and computing units of prototypes, open source electronics platforms are useful. There are many platforms that allow hardware developers to prototype their projects using electronics, sensors, actuators, and motors. Hackers, artists, designers, and hobbyists have produced many interactive and interesting projects. Would you like to have your coffee pot send you a tweet when the coffee is ready? Receive an SMS when there is mail in your physical mailbox? What about an auto-lacing shoe? These are all made possible using open source electronic projects. What is great about all of these projects is that the developers share all necessary steps and details of the their projects for easy replication by interested users.

Innovation is not limited to physical products and hardware. One can easily develop a mobile app to improve a traditional business or disrupt an industry. Smartphones and innovative app ideas are changing the way we get a taxi (Uber), book a room (Airbnb), check the price of a product (Amazon), and share-a-ride (Lyft). Uber introduced a smartphone app to allow passengers to book the nearest “taxi” and track the vehicle on a map. Users can make payments with their preloaded credit card information. The Lyft mobile app facilitates ride-sharing by enabling passengers to request a ride from other users nearby who have a car, in exchange for a small fee. Airbnb allows people to rent their private rooms, apartments, homes, and other properties to other users seeking lodging. The Amazon price check app disrupts the retail business by allowing consumers to scan bar codes in local stores and compare prices and order directly from Amazon.

Most of these new approaches were made available by the introduction of smart phones and mobile technologies. The total number of smartphones in the world is over 2 billion. One can develop a small game and reach 20 million users, a relatively small percentage of the worldwide smartphone users, in a single day. For a product or a service, reaching 20 million customers in one day is a great achievement. With new software platforms, it is easier to develop a smartphone application that works on many platforms. These software tools even allow developers to use easier web technologies to program the app. It is becoming a straightforward process to bring an idea to life, especially in software products and services. With all these new tools and services, innovation is getting easier than ever.

While having a novel idea is an important step for innovation, education and hard work are critical for success. Through education, we can inspire new generations to come up with innovative ideas that can change the world. Thomas Edison, famous inventor with over 1000 patents, regarded success as “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Through dedication, failure can be viewed as another opportunity to learn something new. As Edison said, “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

References

1. Halil I. Demir, ‘Religious Inspirations and Scientific Inventions’, Fountain Magazine, Issue 89 / September – October 2012.
2. Alex Usher, ‘The Future of MOOCs: Coursera and EdX’, Higher Education Strategy Associates, November 19, 2013.
3. XPRIZE Scientific and Technological Challenges, http://xprize.org
4. Ryan Fleming, ‘Star Citizen destroys all crowdfunding records, hits $37 million’, Digital Trends, January 22, 2014.
5. Dominic Basulto, ‘How 3D printing could transform Amazon and online shopping’, March 13, 2014.

One who is conscious of the Divine origin of the gifts may express resignation with such words as “Your favor is welcome, and so is Your retribution.” One acts in peace and contentment and tries to attain confidence in the valleys of reliance, surrender, and commitment. Negligence of what is necessary for a traveler to do in order to hunt these gifts that come from the Ultimate Truth—for example, neglecting to do what falls to the free will in order to obtain a desired result—is a fault on the part of the saintly ones, who have reached the ranks of perfect godliness and nearness to God. Since this means that the heart has lost some degrees in its relation with God, the Ultimate Truth, the traveler is punished according to his or her rank. Those who have risen to a certain rank are expected to use all their time in the most profitable way possible, and to try to strengthen their relation with the Almighty and multiply their rewards. It is because of this that a Sufi is called “a child of time.”

Being “a child of time” means that initiates always consider what they must do at all times and, doing what is best in God’s sight, use all times and opportunities given by God as if each were a seed capable of producing seven or seventy or seven hundred grains. This also means fixing one’s eyes exclusively on God and always turning expectantly and hopefully to the source from which the Divine gifts come. Also, one makes one’s will dependent on God’s Will. The beginning of this rank, marked by an initiate’s spiritual state and pleasure, is time and its end is the intersecting point of being contained and not contained in time and place. We can also view it as the projection onto an initiate’s heart of the Messenger’s rank—he reached the highest point pre-destined for him, a point at which he became so close to God that there was left only the distance between the strings of two bows adjacent to each other or even less (53:9). Mawlana Jalalu’d-Din Rumi indicates this as follows:

A Sufi is an example of how one can be a child of time;
but as for a purified saintly one, he is free from both time and state.

The periods of time when the Prophets are sent to the world with God’s Message, or illustrious, purified saintly scholars are charged with special duties, or honorable saints are honored with sainthood are the periods when the doors to the Divine gifts are wide open and the world is enlightened and honored by the Divine Light. Those periods, and every part of the Age of Happiness, that is, the Time of the Messenger, in particular, are regarded as the Days of God in proportion to the density and extent of radiation of the lights those holy people diffuse. On the other hand, time gets darker in proportion to the fading of the enlightening thought that they diffuse and in proportion to the world’s being deprived of this thought.

If the Almighty wills that His servants who are traveling on His way be favored and embraced with mercy, He strengthens them with time, making it a ladder for them to climb beyond time, or enabling them to do many useful things in a short time, things that would be impossible in a normal timeframe. If, by contrast, He wills to throw those who stray from His way into loneliness and boredom, He wraps time in evil for them and allows them to wander on the slopes of time in a dark, barren land that is closed to the Ultimate Truth. We call this barren part of time “time” only in its literal meaning. Otherwise, time is a gurgling stream that continuously flows into the observatories where God’s Acts are observed.

The true heroes of time have always taken the present day into consideration and tried to use it in the best way possible. They take the previous and the following days into account, but only from the viewpoint of their being the beginning and end of the present day; they regard the previous day as the basic element of the fabric of our lives and the following one as the weft. As for those foremost in nearness to God who live as if beyond the limits of time, they make use of all of time, they have assigned time to God in such a mysterious way that according to the famous adage One who does not taste, does not know, we cannot perceive it. Those people who do not live on the same horizon can neither grasp the showers of gifts with which they have been favored nor understand the profundity of their knowledge of God and the depth of the spiritual pleasures they taste. As time serves like rain pouring down from the heavens and a fertile field bursting with vegetation, they sometimes think of the past favors of God and increase their devotion to Him, saying, “Should I not become a servant thankful (to my Lord)?” (Bukhari, Tahajjud, 6); sometimes they speak to themselves of such feelings of gratitude and are immersed in waves of gratitude. Their responsibilities always bring them good and blessings, and the good and blessings they receive lead them to more gratitude.

By virtue of being conscious of the source of the favors and understanding the main reason lying behind the compliments, an initiate experiences pleasures beyond all understanding and begins to perceive punishments as if they were favors. Though such a degree of favor may open the door for some people of certain disposition and temperament to free and easy behavior and the utterance of proud words that are incompatible with the rules of Shari‘a, those who travel on the way to God guided by the Sunna of the Prophet always behave with self-possession. In obedience to the Divine commandments, they adorn their nearness to God with utmost respect for and awe of Him; they fly in the depths of the heaven of sainthood on the wings of knowledge (ilm) and knowledge of God (marifa). Attributing to God alone whatever favors they may receive and whatever achievement they may realize, their lofty ranks will never prevent them from the utmost humility. Traveling from state to state, they drink gifts sip by sip from the bowl of self-possession.

For others who can take one more step forward, things and events no longer become visible, the past and future are confused, and time melts away in the infinity of the absolute Owner of time and completely disappears from their view. Traveling in such a mysterious valley, they taste the pleasures of seeing everything annihilated in God Almighty and, in the face of the scene which things and beings display under the overall manifestations of God’s Names, they feel wonder, absorbed in turning to God Almighty and utter amazement at His signs and acts. They even take the manifestations of His Names and Attributes for His manifesting Himself in visible forms or in nature or other things. This mood is the point where an initiate may become confused in the world of his or her feelings, thoughts and pleasures. Some people of different temperaments may, as mentioned above, confuse God’s manifestations of His Names and Attributes with His manifesting Himself in different forms, and see a drop as if it were an ocean, a particle of light as if it were the sun, nothing as if it were everything, and utter such words as: “I am the Truth; How exalted my being is!”; “There is nothing in the name of existence save God;” and “There is nothing that exists but God.”

We should point out that the fact that everything is from Him and is sustained by Him does not mean that nothing else exists, or that everything is not different from Him, or that everything is identical with Him. If things and events are not viewed and analyzed in the light of the Prophetic Message and with an insight and consciousness based on it, and if the spiritual journey is not based on self-possession and discernment (between truth and untruth, origin and shadow, God and His Acts and works), it will be difficult for people of certain disposition and temperament to be freed from such confusions.

O God! Guide us to the Straight Way, the way of those whom You have favored. And bestow blessings and peace on our master Muhammad and on his Family and Companions, all of them.

There are two types of pain. One is called sharp or acute pain, which for example might be caused by the prick of a needle, an injury from broken glass or a sharp object like a knife, or contact of skin with a hot object like an element. Such sharp pain is especially important to protect the body through reflex. Similarly, sharp pain in internal organs such as the stomach or intestines may result from a puncture or blockage that prevents the transport of oxygen, or leakage of toxic material such as the stomach acid.

Another type of pain is continuous or chronic pain, of which one obvious example is rheumatic pain. Cancer pain is mostly chronic, although cancer may also cause sharp pain. Whether chronic or sharp, cancer pain can be unbearable, and only endurable with morphine.

What can we do about pain?

Medication should be our last resort when dealing with pain. We should remember that every drug is potentially a poison, and drugs, especially when used for a long time and in high doses, can have numerous adverse effects. Thus no drug, including aspirin, is fully innocent.

The cause of pain must first be diagnosed by a physician. A pain in the chest may simply be a muscle pain, or conversely may be as deadly as a heart attack.

After diagnosis comes the required treatment or operation. Intense pain from appendicitis, for example, is easily treated with an operation. Pain from a heart attack, which causes pain in the left part of the chest, left shoulder and left arm, must be dealt with very seriously under the supervision of a cardiologist.

The first measure to be taken in case of a headache, backache, or neck ache is to avoid the position or movement that causes the pain. Consider the following analogy: the wheels of your car are not properly aligned. One side of the tire is worn due to friction, and thus blows out or loses traction. This result is inevitable, unless one corrects the misalignment leading to friction and wear. The damage cannot be prevented by putting on ear plugs and pretending it doesn’t exist.

If your neck has an ache, you should consult a physician to diagnose the cause. The pain may be related to how you use your pillow; so you can get rid of the pain by simply adjusting the pillow based on your preferred sleeping position, or you may need to buy a new pillow. The pain may also be caused by keeping the head in the same direction for prolonged periods to watch TV or looking into the monitor, we may just need to do some simple physical exercise and sit up right. Desk jobs and extended cell phone use are primary causes of neck aches. Resorting to painkillers immediately is not the right thing to do in such cases. A drug may ease the pain temporarily, but as in the car analogy, we may end up with a flat tire. Painkillers do not resolve the injury to the neck and what is worse, despite the intensifying pain you may not be aware of the body’s warnings, and finally have a serious case of hernia that may require an operation that runs the risk for death or paralysis.

The most important cause of backache is a vicious circle of inactivity and obesity. If a person does not exercise, they will put on weight and as one puts on weight they cannot exercise. Carelessness when picking up something is one of the most common causes of backaches. Obesity is one of the most common causes of herniated disc. Obesity prevents doing exercise; back muscles weaken as one does not exercise, and this leads to a herniated disc. If we do not take necessary care about these and look to drugs for treatment, we may not feel the pain, but the injury and hernia continue to exist. The risk is much lower among those who observe meditation and other religious practices that include physical activity like bowing, prostrating, sitting and standing upright. Eating little and leaving the table before being full are among many prophetic advices that are useful for our health.

The same is true for knee injuries such as meniscus tears and ligament sprains. Our knees are some of our most precious assets. We should be careful about our knees when standing up from a squat or getting on or off a car so that they will not slip sideways. Dangerous, rigorous exercises or movements that may harm the bones and cartilage in the knees, such as lifting heavy weights and jumping off a height, should be avoided, especially after a certain age. Sitting crossed-legged or squatting for long periods may stretch cruciate ligaments too much, and a slight move may cause their rupture.

One of the most common types of headaches is stress-related headaches. In these headaches the muscles in the head become tense, causing the vessels to contract and leaving tissues without oxygen. If we learn how to deal with stress, we can ease the headache and become happier. We should fight stress consciously and actively. We can overcome headaches not by sitting idly but by mental preparation and activity targeting stress.

Cupping and other complementary treatments can be tried before medication. Performing regular prayers may help relieve the aches in the head, neck, and knees, because these prayers reduce stress and are a form of exercise. Washing yourself as a part of prayers includes exercise, cleaning, and getting rid of the stress-related static electricity through water. Cleaning the top of the head, massaging the ears inside out, and washing the face and feet are known to reduce stress and discharge static electricity.

Endorphins, a group of hormones secreted within the brain, are in fact given the task of acting as painkillers in our body. They are thousands of times more powerful than morphine and help us fight headaches. Most of the ache, especially in chronic pains, is eliminated by the “pain-control systems” which were installed in our brains; what we feel as pain is in fact whatever remains after this elimination. Were it not for this mechanism, which is a sign of great compassion, life would be insufferable because of pains.

Life lessons are learnt every day by those climbing. But the lessons learnt from the peak of an active stratovolcano, which last erupted some 300 years ago and is overdue to erupt anytime, makes these lessons more valuable. I understand the Japanese proverb now and decide to be the wise man:
“He who climbs Mount Fuji once is a wise man; he who climbs it twice is a fool.”

Like any other mountain, the climb was grueling. And the difficult part about this was there was no nature to admire or reflect upon. The mountain is barren and exposed to wind from all directions, all the way to the peak. It is open to visitors only two months a year, and was therefore packed with trekkers. Going on a weekend, during the school holidays and peak season, makes it the most crowded mountain I have ever climbed.

The first life lesson I learnt was: Carry only what you need

Each trekker had to carry his own load. Other mountains give you the luxury of getting an extra guide to carry your belongings up to the peak. On Mount Fuji, you carry everything yourself, including the rubbish that you end up with. There is no place to throw garbage at the top, so you have to bring everything back down with you. We were warned that the weather at the summit was going to be freezing. So all the thermals clothing and jackets were necessary. Energy bars, water, head torch and my gloves all went in my backpack. As the climb got steeper, I realized I had packed in excess. Things I thought I would not be able to do without, but which made my climb more challenging and my back more sore unnecessarily.

Life lesson one

The life lesson from here is that life is a journey. We need to keep it simple and only take along with us what we need. Extra baggage only makes it backbreaking. Don’t get attached to the material possessions, you think you can’t do without them, but you can. Don’t get attached to anything, people, thoughts and wealth. Your climb up to the summit and journey in life will seem a lot smoother and lighter.

Lesson two: Break mental barriers

Our climb was planned a few weeks after Ramadan, so I wasn’t at my fittest. Fitness at my age was questioned and eyebrows were raised when I mentioned my upcoming challenge and asked, “Are you sure you will manage?” Thyroid sucked up my energy. And to top it all, as I prepared to travel I got a bad cold with a sore throat.

The life lesson is that you have to break your own mental barriers and replace the negativity with positivity. Colds heal. Thyroid can be taken care of. Age is nothing but a number. And anyway, what’s the worst that can happen? You won’t make it? At least you tried, and failures can strengthen you. So stop making excuses and do what you have to do! Enjoy God’s creations.

Lesson three: Appreciate God’s creation

Mount Fuji is very barren and it’s not a walk in the park. So when you tell someone you want to admire God’s creation, they can ask you, “Why don’t you go somewhere prettier?”

The life lesson here is that you find beauty in everything you see. One of the reason why the mountain gets flocked, with around 200,000 climbers a year, is so they can catch a glimpse of the sunrise. It is known as the goraiko or Buddha’s halo, and it is truly spectacular! So sometimes you have to struggle and you may see no benefit in your hard work, but the true beauty will come with one of the sunrises. So keep walking in life. Don’t give up. Soon you will be rewarded with something so amazing that you never imagined!

Japan, you taught me so much in such little time. Arigattu Gozaimashita.

One such wonder, the thorny devil (Molochhorridus), is an endemic creature that presents itself as a source of contemplation. It is a lizard between 10 and 15 cm long, with a broad body that is completely covered with cone-shaped sharp spikes, and has a rather big head and small eyes. Its appearance is made even more frightening with the two spikes on the sides of its head, which look like horns and are stronger than the others. On the back of the lizard’s head is a separate bump that resembles a second head on which there is another big spike. These unusual physical features have earned it the name the thorny devil. The lizard’s golden and brown patchy skin provides camouflage in the desert environment. Having a lifespan of between 12 and 20 years, this work of art is equipped with unique features that inspire greater awe as they are studied.

Deterrent tactics

Living in the harsh conditions of the desert, the thorny devil is equipped with tactics, each more interesting and unusual than the rest, to keep enemies at bay and stay clear of danger. First and foremost, the thorny devil’s color gets dull when it is frightened or cold, which adds to its melding with the environment. It also breathes in and holds the breath to enlarge its body and thus makes its already frightening appearance even more so. If the tactic does not work to deter the enemy, another strategy is put in place. The creature lowers its head until the lump with the thorn protrudes further. By producing its biggest weapon against the enemy, it seems to say “Don’t you dare come closer” and fends it off.

Skin and feet like a sponge

The most hidden secret of the thorny devil lies in its ability to absorb water through its skin and even feet. The thorny devil is geared up with a special skin make-up that can collect and transport water to the mouth as required by the environment. This structure is a mechanism that involves micro capillary tubes and a network of channels that connects them. The architecture of the network allows for capillary movement, that is, water can resist gravity and move upwards. This is how the lizard is enabled to drink water from sources like ponds, wet sand and droplets condensing on the skin. For example, this little desert creature can absorb water through its feet simply by standing on a little pond, without having to lower its mouth. Drinking water directly from water sources is already difficult, because the tongue and jaw structure of thorny devil is specially created to hunt its prey.

To unravel the intricacies of this mechanism, studies were conducted in the labs of the University of Western Australia on specimens of the Molochhorridus from the Gibson Desert. The studies focused on five water sources that could feed the creature: the rainfall, puddles, moist soil, water droplets from dew, and thermally-induced condensation. The aim was to uncover the effectiveness and efficiency of these sources in the thorny devil’s moisture-harvesting.

In the most striking of these experiments, which looked into collecting water from puddles, the lizards were placed in a puddle of 3 mm deep and the changes in their weight were measured. The thorny devils were divided into two groups as those that drank water and those that did not and were then observed for 60 minutes. It was found that there was a weight increase of 3.66 percent in the lizards with no jaw movement (i.e. non-drinking lizards). On the other hand, the increase in weight was found to be significantly higher at 6.84 percent for the lizards which had rhythmical jaw movements (i.e. drinking lizards). An examination of the jaw movements showed that every jaw movement accounted for the absorption of 0.7 milliliters of water.
To measure the lizards’ absorption of water from “moist sand” they were placed on soil containing different levels of water, varying between 3 to 22 percent. The amount of water absorbed through feet and skin was measured through differences in weight. It was found that water absorption increased proportionately as water content increased. A weight increase of 0.20 percent was found even in soil that contained 2 percent water; in soil with water content of 22 percent, the creature’s water collection amount averaged 1.84 percent. Although little, the increase was concluded to be significant.

Moreover, experiments with “pre-heating with moist sand” showed that pre-heating had a significant impact on the ability of the skin to draw water. It was also found that water collection through “water condensation supported by difference in heat and moisture” caused a weight gain increase of 0.215 percent. These studies show how fantastic a capillary system the thorny devil is equipped with to collect water from different sources, and thereby quench its thirst.
When we lend an ear to this little but amazing creature, we can almost hear it say that every living thing in the nature is being duly taken care of.

Surely God it is He Who is the All-Providing, Lord of all might, and the All-Forceful.
(Qur’an 51:58)

Dolphins produce clicking sounds to navigate, to collect information about their environment, and to locate food. Each and every dolphin has a different sound just like every human being. Distinguishing between different sounds, they have been known to instruct each other, receive instructions, and act accordingly.

Sounds for hunting and navigating

Dolphins send out clicking sounds. When those sounds hit an object, they bounce back vibrations to the dolphins. These echoes allow them to identify where objects are located. It also gives them information about the location of the object and some indication of the shape and size of it. This system is called “Echolocation” or “Sonar,” just like what a submarine uses to navigate while underwater.

How can dolphins analyze the information contained in these echoes?

Dolphins produce sounds with their larynx and a complex system of cavities connected to their blowhole. The sounds used in echolocation are a rapid series of clicks. The clicks contain a wide range of frequencies, but most of the sound energy is in the range between 50,000 to 200,000 cycles a second, or hertz. These high frequencies are necessary for echolocation in water. Because sound waves travel at about 340 meters a second (m/s) in air, and the speed of sound in water is five times greater than in air. The wavelength of a sound of a given frequency in water is five times longer than in air. Dolphins must generate frequency five times higher to achieve the same resolution.

How do dolphins use sound to gauge the distance and speed of objects around them?

The physical phenomenon of sound is defined to be a disturbance of matter that is transmitted from its source outward. Sound is a type of energy made by vibrations. Sound energy cannot be produced on its own. Sound waves move like ripples of water after a pebble has been dropped on the smooth surface of a pond. When any object vibrates, it causes movement in the air particles. This movement, called sound waves, work travel through a medium by passing vibrations from molecule to molecule until the particles run out of energy. 

Sound waves need to travel through a medium such as a solid, liquid, or gas. The molecules in gases are not packed as tightly as liquid. Therefore, the spacing of the molecules enables sound to travel much faster through a solid than a gas. Energy goes into compressing and expanding the surrounding water, occurring slightly higher and lower local pressures. These cause compressions (high pressure regions) and rarefactions (low pressure regions).

A sound wave travels approximately at 1,500 m/s in water. Another phenomenon related to the perception of time delays between two events is an echo. A person can often perceive a time delay between the production of a sound and the arrival of a reflection of that sound off a distant barrier. The time delay between the holler and the echo corresponds to the time for the holler to travel the round-trip distance to the canyon wall and back. A measurement of this time would allow a person to estimate the one-way distance to the prey. For instance, if a dolphin hears an echo in 0.2 seconds after making the holler, then the distance to the prey can be calculated as follows: distance = vxt = 1,500 m/s x 0.1 s = 150 m.

How can any dolphin analyze the information contained in these echoes?

There is still plenty that isn’t known about dolphin echolocation. There are two hypotheses about how dolphins produce sound underwater. Scientists are not sure which hypothesis is correct. According to the accepted views, dolphins have a fat-filled organ in the front part of the head described as a melon. The melon acts like a lens for sound waves, focusing the sound waves into a narrow beam. Dolphins generate a wide variety of clicks. The clicks they use for echolocation are of a higher frequency than those used for other forms of communication. This improves resolution and allows smaller prey to be located. The clicks are generated in a series of interconnected passages behind the melon. When the sound strikes an object such as a prey fish, some of the sound is reflected back toward the dolphin. Another fat-filled cavity in the dolphin’s lower jaw acts as a receptor for this sound. The sound is carried from the fat-filled cavity to the middle ear and perceived by the animal’s brain. Consequently, as soon as an echo from one click is received, the dolphin generates another click. The time lapse between click and echo enables the dolphin to determine the distance between it and the object. The difference in sound intensity received by each ear allows the animal to determine the direction. By emitting a series of clicks and listening to the echoes, the dolphin is able to locate and follow its prey. Yet the dolphin’s sonar is highly advanced and can pinpoint exact information about its surroundings ranging from size, distance and even the nature of the object.

After all these findings, one cannot help but ask, “Who taught science to dolphins?”

References

1. Richmond, Elliot. “Echolocation.” Animal Sciences. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Sep. 2015<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
2. http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/the-physical-principles-of-sound
3. Beggs, J., & Thede, D. (2001). Chapter 2. The Science of Sound and Digital Audio in “Designing web audio” book. ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.”.

This timely work, which is published during (yet another) period of religious upheaval and widespread misunderstanding, addresses some of the factors that could lead to mutual awareness of a shared religious and ultimately spiritual source. Daniel Hummel, a professor of public administration at Bowie State University in Maryland, has rightly seen the need and provided the insights that could be of great use for an appraisal of Islam and a pertinently related Christianity. One thing is for sure, the author has his heart in the right place and one can only applaud.

The title of this book tells us that under consideration are the numerously similar teachings of Jesus and Muhammad. Quite naturally one would assume that of the essence would be the commonalities of the two men themselves. Both were extremely pious during their formative years. Their inspiration, their receiving, were logically from the same divine source but it should be mentioned that another factor, which was addressed by that divine source, was shared by all of the most prominent monotheist prophets. The four pillars of monotheism, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, all shared a common concern and, of consequence, a common cause. They were appalled at the falling of their peoples into idolatry and heathen superstition by turning to an outer world and ignoring the kingdom within; for one does not speak to God, one listens. The fallen peoples no longer listened, which meant that they had lost faith – lost trust – in the Word within, in the whisper from the soul, in the still small voice, in the One Almighty God.

The repeated fall through generation after generation among the world’s peoples engendered God’s mission to send, at given historical intervals, a man of His choosing to rectify and bring salvation to an erring humanity. Unfortunately, there seems to be no real success as far as global peace is concerned but Daniel Hummel offers his own plea, which amounts to a consideration of the facts that have perhaps been overlooked or ignored. Put into common parlance one could ask, “Come now, are we really so different?” The answer is obvious because we are all, irrespective of faith, of a less than perfect genus and Daniel Hummel investigates and compares the pertinent parts of the Bible and the Qur’an to show where salvation from our present plight could possibly be found. Moreover, found together. To most minds it would seem a banality to mention that true Muslims have about as much in common with terrorists as true Christians have in common with the Crusades or the Inquisition, and much more. I feel that this is something that should be understood and felt.

At the beginning of Mr Hummel’s book we find a useful list of terminology and this reviewer was pleased to read “Mu’ahid, a peaceful non-Muslim. One who shows no aggression to Muslims or seeks to hinder the spread of Islam. It is forbidden in Islam to harm this person.” This is obviously a relief. I nevertheless beg forgiveness in advance because I am aware that to criticize is ill-advised among humans, but I miss in the list the word Islam (which translates from the Arabic as “submission”). Submission must surely be another, probably the most relevant, commonality shared by Jesus and Muhammad. Moreover, because as a Mu’ahid I am inviolate I may risk suggesting that if submission is the true way of following God’s will, then Jesus was a Muslim long before Muhammad appeared to carry on the work. Sorry, no offence meant to the followers of either religion!

What is possibly true is that more Muslims are aware of the contents of the Bible than Christians are aware of the contents of the Qur’an. This is where Mr Hummel plays a part in offering comparison and I am sure that he is aware of the task ahead. I have personally been present when one speaker maintained that our current crisis is all about a war between God and Allah. I attempted to remedy the error by speaking of a merely semantic difference, but with little real success. Shamelessly copied from the Internet, I offer the words meaning God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. There are two words for God in Aramaic, El and alaha (Syriac) or Elahi (Biblical Aramaic). The word is almost identical to the Arabic “Allah.” The derivative possibilities are more than plausible to any linguist.

Appraisal and comparison is very well arranged in this book. The salient theological facts are addressed, chapter by chapter, and summarized in conclusion. The necessity for prayer, purifying the soul and fearing God, charity, integrity, repentance, belief and behaviors, and just about everything prerequisite for a serious seeker of spiritual truth is given space and review.

On page 176 we read that Muhammad was unlettered, therefore the Qur’an was received as a revelation and not conceived. Jesus, according to the little we know of His life, was also not a man of scholarship. In fact by the age of twelve he was already working as a carpenter with His father. His learning was probably restricted to His time in a temple questioning wise men of faith. Muhammad and Jesus were not ignorant of their theological antecedents, but we are faced with an obvious fact – greatly emphasized, perhaps inadvertently, by Mr Hummel in his book – that spiritual revelation, whether for a Muslim or a Christian is a thing of grace bestowed. When Jesus speaks of “…the peace that passeth all understanding” we become aware of a distinct lessening of the chatter and the clatter of intellectual endeavor from a rampant mind.

Although addressed seven times in this book, the matter of Jesus being the Son of God, or a prophet and no more, remains with us. I had hesitated to address the nagging, won’t-go-away big question. But in the last paragraph of the book Mr Hummel offers a plea for more debate between Christians and Muslims. Therefore, resting on my status as a Mu’ahid, I would offer an alternative take on the matter and even feel a slight hope that both Christians and Muslims will find common ground, which, like Mr Hummel, would also be my wish.

Thus! In my copy of the Qur’an each chapter is prefaced by In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, which is appropriate and shows profound reverence. The reverence shown is a reiterative theme throughout the Qur’an. It is made clear that the supremacy of God transcends all that we can comprehend. In fact, on page 214 we are instructed: In Islam, anything a man or woman does is by the love of God, including what most people take for granted, such as breathing. I agree. The Christian belief in a Holy Trinity would, at first hand, seem to contradict Qur’anic belief. Or vice versa. I would ask believers of both religions to aspire to a broader view. Since God is the supreme Creator we know that He sponsors all of Creation. My simple-minded (nay, desperate) plea would be to understand His sponsoring in a literary sense, and perhaps even see God as a father figure –the One who plants the seed, and the One who fertilizes it. It would also be a perfect analogy in praise of the Creator and Giver of Life when humans undertake what should be divine worship when they make children.

Inconclusive? I agree! However, like Mr Hummel I would like to see better understanding among Muslims and Christians. My weak proposal is all I can manage. On the other hand, Daniel Hummel has managed a great deal. This is a worthwhile book, perhaps even a vital book.

Thank you Daniel Hummel, may you be blessed for what you have achieved.

Jesus & Muhammad: Commonalities of Two Great Religions
by Daniel Hummel
Tughra Books
978-1597849258
pp. 228

Answer: The Qur’an outlines that “enjoining the good and forbidding the evil” is a distinctive characteristic of being the best community (Al Imran 3:110). The Qur’an addresses believers that they are a community brought forth for the good of all mankind. You are responsible for teaching human values to humanity. Actually, this feeling in you does not arise from your own will. God, may His glory be exalted, has opened your hearts to the rest of humanity, put you on the stage, and assigned you a role in the scene He set.

The Good and Evil

The good, or ma’ruf, is what the religion commands, what sound reason gladly accepts, what sound feelings approve of, and what the conscience opens its doors to and welcomes. Therefore, the syntactic priority given to “enjoining the good” bears significance. Accordingly, a believer must first of all speak of goodness, rather than referring to what is evil or ugly; he must give priority to what is good and beautiful. However, while doing this, it is necessary to consider both whom to address and the manner of address very well.
As for the evil, or munkar, it is what the religion forbids, what sound reason accepts as harmful, what sound feelings dislike, and what the conscience closes its doors to and rejects. As well as enjoining the good, by forbidding the evil believers must try to save others from being condemned to a mistake, swept away by some current, and from drowning in deep waters. They must dissuade oppressors from oppression by exposing its ugly face, transgressors from transgression by exposing its hideous face, and unbelievers from unbelief by exposing its horrible face. Naturally, this should not be accomplished merely through words but, first of all, through the language of their state and attitudes they should evoke disgust against evil, indecency and ugliness in the hearts of those they address and try to deter them from such errors and sins.

Immature minds

On the other hand, it is necessary to avoid giving an alluring account of what is sinful while trying to expose the ugly face of evil. Unintentionally, we might evoke an inclination toward and interest in the sinful in the minds of those we address. Bediüzzaman warns us in this regard by stating that a fanciful, elaborate account of something bad can cause immature minds to stray. Although the purpose is to present the ugliness of the sins to consciences, we can unintentionally cause those with weak willpower to feel tempted toward sins.

Nobody has the right to break others’ hopes

On the other hand, if you depict negative things and reflect evil and ugliness in a way that demoralizes people and breaks their spirit, you will similarly have acted contrary to the command of forbidding the evil.
For example, on the one hand, you might say in a sorrowful mood: “Humane tears have disappeared in our time. Such hardheartedness is unparalleled in history. The Islamic world is being incinerated. Its dignity, honor and pride is trampled underfoot. It has become an object of derision. However, believers are still not sorrowful in the face of such a bitter picture. They are so miserly, even with regards to sparing a few minutes and shedding a few tears.” On the other hand, you are concerned about whether you are making a mistake by voicing these ideas. This bears the risk of creating a gloomy atmosphere that will unintentionally break the spirits of those addressed.
As Bediüzzaman puts it, every word a person speaks must be true. But it is not right to express every truth at any time. Sometimes you voice a certain truth you believe. However, if those addressed lack the level of cognition and expansive heart required for bearing this truth, your words and statements might push them toward hopelessness and to form the wrong opinion that those good things can never happen again.
Words spoken without taking into consideration what those addressed will welcome or react against are likely to result in the opposite of what is intended. In summary, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil requires much caution. There should neither be exaggeration in depicting the wrong, nor miserliness in expressing the truth.

Speaking righteously

While trying to convey good and positive things, sometimes we might step out of the frame of enjoining the good. For example, we might exaggerate about the good works carried out. In fact, exaggeration is an implicit lie. It is not possible to serve faith even with an atom of a lie. In addition, exaggeration is an important reason for grace and abundance to cease.

Sometimes, while talking about good things, we assume a role in them as if we were their real source. Actually, 99.9% of the matter we talk about belongs to God Almighty. The share that belongs to human willpower is just one thousandth. We should acknowledge this much.

Do not tell others what you cannot make yourself accept!

For the sake of its significance, I would like to state an oft-repeated fact as the final point: If we wish our words to have a positive influence on those we address, we must personally live in accordance with our words. Some Islamic sources relate that God made the following address to Jesus: “O Jesus! You first give counsel to your own soul; after it has followed the counsel, then try to guide others to goodness, otherwise feel ashamed of Me.”[1]  This teaches that it is disrespectful to God for a person to tell others what he has not been able to make his own soul accept. Given that God warns even such a blessed personage like the Messiah, whose personal example is ten times ahead of what he counsels, then it is understood how scrupulous other people must be about this issue.

[1]  Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Az-Zuhd, 1/54; Abu Nuaym, Hilyat al-Awliya, 2/382.